Are You Leaning In Or Hanging On?

Are you “leaning in” or hanging on?

That’s the question addressed in this recent New York Times Article. According to the article, many women (and men) with children under 18 would much rather have flex time and/or work less hours than have the corner office and more responsibilities.

“Unaccounted for in the latest books offering leadership strategies by and for elite women is the fact that only 37 percent of working women (and 44 percent of working men) say they actually want a job with more responsibilities, according to a survey from the Families and Work Institute. And among all mothers with children under 18, just a quarter say they would choose full-time work if money were no object and they were free to do whatever they wanted, according to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll.”

Where do you stand on this issue?

What’s clear to me is that we have different priorities at different times in our lives and that career advancement is not necessarily a linear process. It’s more of a hopscotch! There are many times during the course of our careers when our family takes precedence, and it’s extremely difficult to focus all of our efforts on moving up the ladder. Even my clients with stay at home Dads or full time help find it challenging. It’s quite natural that we want to be present for our children and be a part of their young lives as much as possible.

That being said, unless your company has flex time policies it’s not always easy to get the opportunity to work remotely. You have to earn it and be seen as a trusted top performer to be granted the privilege as the article points out. Once you receive the option to work from home you must continue to prove yourself and do outstanding work as unfortunately you may be judged differently than your colleagues.

Continue to let others know your achievements.

Continue to build and leverage relationships to gain and maintain your visibility and credibility.

You may not want the corner office, but if flex time or working from home is important to you, make sure you are protecting your status.